A Thank you is due

Thursday night, the local SC, First & Last Chance Scooter Club, met for its monthly drink. Just like to scoots I am a relative newbie to the club as well. I struck up a conversation with two more experienced scooterists and restorers, Paul S & Dano. I started to go on about the great customer service I have received from some scooter shops. Paul, who has been in the scene for I'm guessing a couple decades, told me about the mod-revival days and the history of all the shops. In those days, you had a catalog and a phone number and called the shops for the parts and advice. Those shops were accustomed to holding their client's hands and walking them through the challenges the scooters offered the owners. That hit the nail on the head for me!

There are a few scooter shops who held my hand for hours via the phone and email and to be honest probably did not make enough money off of me for what they invested in me, but what I can tell you is their passion for vintage bikes lives through me and now the SS180 and at some point the TV175.

For the Lambretta hand-holding, a true O'G scooterist is Gene, of Scooters Originali. Overall I can only say great things about him. He continues to hold my hand each and every step of my Lambretta restoration. He is also great with Vespas. Mark, of Jet200, is new to the shop scene, I believe, but other club members also love him. He is a very fair guy and works with you until you are happy.

For the Vespa hand-holding I can not thank enough Alex, of Motorsport Scooters. He is a very knowledgeable resource and genuinely cares about people. He is a lot of fun to speak with. David, of First Kick Scooters. David is the most calming person in the scooter culture I spoken with. He has hunted on his own time to help me trouble shoot many issues and always came back to me with answers. He has always taken great care of me. Mic, of ScooterShop, is another O'G, like Alex. He is a hoot to talk with and is also very knowledgeable. He moves at the speed of light in conversation. Danell, of Scooter Parts Direct, also took very good care of me and even referred me to competitors when I was in a pinch for a part she did not have.

There are other shops that I have had positive experiences with, but the ones listed above are the ones I frequented the most.

A thank you is due

Thursday night, the local SC, First & Last Chance Scooter Club, met for its monthly drink. Just like to scoots I am a relative newbie to the club as well. I struck up a conversation with two more experienced scooterists and restorers, Paul S & Dano. I started to go on about the great customer service I have received from some scooter shops. Paul, who has been in the scene for I'm guessing a couple decades, told me about the mod-revival days and the history of all the shops. In those days, you had a catalog and a phone number and called the shops for the parts and advice. Those shops were accustomed to holding their client's hands and walking them through the challenges the scooters offered the owners. That hit the nail on the head for me!

There are a few scooter shops who held my hand for hours via the phone and email and to be honest probably did not make enough money off of me for what they invested in me, but what I can tell you is their passion for vintage bikes lives through me and now the SS180 and at some point the TV175.

For the Vespa hand-holding I can not thank enough Alex, of Motorsport Scooters. He is a very knowledgeable resource and geniueningly cares about people. He is a lot of fun to speak with. David, of First Kick Scooters. David is the most calming person in the scooter culture I spoken with. He has researched on his own time to help me trouble shoot many issues and always came back to me with answers. He has taken great care of me. Mic, of ScooterShop, is another O'G, like Alex. He is a hoot to talk with and is also very knowledgeable. He moves at the speed of light in conversation. Danell, of Scooter Parts Direct also took very good care of me and even referred me to competitors when I was in a pinch for a part she did not have.

For the Lambretta hand-holding, a true O'G scooterist is Gene, of Scooters Originali. Overall I can only say great things about him. He continues to hold my hand which each and every step of my Lambretta restoration. He is also great with Vespas. Mark, of Jet200, is new to the shop scene, I believe, but other club members also love him. He is a very fair guy and works with you until you are happy.

There are other shops that I have had positive experiences with, but the ones listed above are the ones I frequented the most.

Attention diverted

My wife is due with our second child within the next 3-5 weeks and that's where my attention is. We have our hands full with Hudson Rogue, our 3-year-old boy, and soon I will need to be very available for him when my wife is caring for the infant. Gender unknown.

With every penny I can squeeze I am acquiring all the parts I need for my TV175 S3, but not really working on the bike. I have also spoken with my father-in-law to design a couple more tools.

Attention diverted

My wife is due with our second child within the next 3-5 weeks and that's where my attention is. We have our hands full with Hudson Rogue, our 3-year-old boy, and soon I will need to be very available for him when my wife is caring for the infant. Gender unknown.

I am aware that the clutch video was too long for YouTube and Blogger, so I will look for alternative video sites at a later date. Paul will put the clutch back in the bike as soon as he can get to it. I also need to call a fellow SS180 owner to work out why my headlight is grounding out when in the socket. All the mean while, with every penny saved for projects, I am acquiring all the parts I need for my TV175 S3, but not really working on the bike.

I will be back!

Vespa Ads

(clique para ampliar)

Passeio de Natal

No passado dia 5 de Dezembro após uns emails e algumas confirmações lá se conseguiu juntar alguns elementos do VFA para uma voltinha ….

Ponto de encontro foi em Boliqueime com uma passagem para gastar gasolina e pneus até a zona da Oura em Albufeira onde se parou para apreciar no nosso imenso mar azul o maior dos nossos vários ex-líbris existentes aqui no Algarve. Seguindo-se depois para uma das mais famosas praias do Algarve devido a grande afluência do “GET7” no verão a Praia dos Tomates conhecida por muitos de nós nos anos 80 e 90 como a Praia do Quebra Coco onde era usual juntar-se pessoal motard para mostrarem os seus dotes na descida da falésia com as suas motas.

Umas fotos batidas e já se estava na hora de almoço para onde seguimos junto a praia até ao restaurante em Vilamoura para se deliciar umas belas “Francesinhas” e uns bons dedos de conversa.

Já mais pró meio da tarde nova partida ate a Ilha de Faro para um café onde o caminho seguido foi o mais junto possível ao mar quase todo o percurso de Vilamoura até a Ilha foi feito não a mais de 500 metros de distância da orla marítima onde em pontos chegamos mesmo a estar a 50cm da água salgado do nosso imenso mar, já na ilha uma bica na esplanada e outros tantos dedos de conversa até ao ponto de separação dos elementos no seu trajecto para casa.

Próxima estação!!

Regressamos já dia 16 deste primeiro mês de 2010, as nossas sessões dançantes...desta vez com a presença de DJ Milkshake da Groovie Records...
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Parts Acquition

I continue to acquire parts as my wallet allows and have a very clear list at times like my birthday or Christmas. Thanks to my folks this Christmas I received:

- Indian front dampeners
- MB Developments body hardware kit (mudguard, bridge, horncast, etc.)
- Tire jack



It is less expensive to replace the hardware individually as needed, but I lacked all of the proper black grommet pieces that the bike is supposed to have so that everything properly fits. The hardware is stainless steel. I note some nylocs as well as "stamps" on the heads of some of the hardware. I am not sure that I will grind the "stamps" off on this restoration as I do not plan a 100% anorak's restore. There will be some mild mods so I may keep the hardware as-is/

My wife searched to buy me a 42mm silver Big Bore GP200 exhaust pipe, but the shops I deal with are out of stock. Once the pipe arrives from India I will get one. The shops are all waiting.

Rebuild the clutch

The video below shows the final inspection/rebuild/bench test of the clutch. I will have it reinstalled in the SS180 and test ride the bike. If the issue is not resolved, then the bike will come home from Paul S's house and I will brainstorm from there . . . whether I buy a SIP VSC clutch or drop the motor, open the cases, and inspect the cush drive.